Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Elk Hunting => Topic started by: huntingdog16 on January 14, 2016, 06:59:22 PM

Title: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: huntingdog16 on January 14, 2016, 06:59:22 PM: I was wondering if someone could help me out with a question. I've been doing some research last couple weeks, and was wondering if anyone knew of access points in this area. I was hoping to see if anyone has hunted this areas before during general season. If I read the regs correct I believe you can only take a spike or a cow, and it's only open in the earlyseason? I was hoping if anyone knew which trail to take to get more in to the back country? Thanks to anyone with tips
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: Moose Master on January 14, 2016, 07:04:33 PM: My sons and I did a pack in to the wilderness area last fall. If you PM with your contact info and I'll share what we did and what we learned. Good Luck to all in the 2016 season.
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: Naches Sportsman on January 14, 2016, 07:06:14 PM: Best advice is to buy a map with trails on them and start hiking. Washington trails association web page is a good place to start.

Oak Creek is in a completely different unit than the William O. Oak Creek is in gmu 360.
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: huntingdog16 on January 14, 2016, 07:10:22 PM: Moose Master pm sent.
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: huntingdog16 on January 14, 2016, 07:20:57 PM: I bought the Washington Gazateer but note sure how accurate it is
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: Brad Harshman on January 14, 2016, 07:38:53 PM: William o douglas wilderness western boundary is the Pacific Crest Trail. West of the trail is the rainier National Park (no hunting I believe). You can through hike from chinook pass to white pass on the PCT. It's such a cool area. Hike and learn all summer.
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: Naches Sportsman on January 14, 2016, 07:42:47 PM: Quote from: huntingdog16 on January 14, 2016, 07:20:57 PM
I bought the Washington Gazateer but note sure how accurate it is

I'd recommend stopping at the ranger station in Naches on a weekday and buying a forest service map and the yakima county sherriffs recreation map.
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: huntingdog16 on January 14, 2016, 08:37:09 PM: RomaKnows your inbox is full. I can't send another message
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: Band on January 14, 2016, 10:07:41 PM: Quote from: Naches Sportsman on January 14, 2016, 07:42:47 PM
Quote from: huntingdog16 on January 14, 2016, 07:20:57 PM
I bought the Washington Gazateer but note sure how accurate it is

I'd recommend stopping at the ranger station in Naches on a weekday and buying a forest service map and the yakima county sherriffs recreation map.
Yeah, the gazateer can help you narrow down likely elk country, but a more detailed (topo) map is necessary to really get the lay of the land before you start hiking the backcountry in search of a location you'll be happy with during hunting season.
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: buglebuster on January 15, 2016, 05:41:27 AM: Quote from: Brad Harshman on January 14, 2016, 07:38:53 PM
William o douglas wilderness western boundary is the Pacific Crest Trail. West of the trail is the rainier National Park (no hunting I believe). You can through hike from chinook pass to white pass on the PCT. It's such a cool area. Hike and learn all summer.
The William o goes well west of the pacific crest, that's not the boundary at all. And rainier national park is not west of the trail off ofnjighway 12 for about 12 miles or so.
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: Brad Harshman on January 15, 2016, 07:53:31 AM: Quote from: buglebuster on January 15, 2016, 05:41:27 AM
Quote from: Brad Harshman on January 14, 2016, 07:38:53 PM
William o douglas wilderness western boundary is the Pacific Crest Trail. West of the trail is the rainier National Park (no hunting I believe). You can through hike from chinook pass to white pass on the PCT. It's such a cool area. Hike and learn all summer.
The William o goes well west of the pacific crest, that's not the boundary at all. And rainier national park is not west of the trail off ofnjighway 12 for about 12 miles or so.
Whoops my mistake. The William O Douglas Wilderness and the Bumping GMU (356) boundaries don't necessarily align. And apparently neither does the PCT. My description above was actually for the Bumping GMU western boundary, which I always thought the PCT was the boundary line. Instead PCT goes inside the rainier national park, where big game hunting is prohibited. So the western boundary of Bumping is defined by parts of the PCT and parts of the NP.
Check out WDFW's go hunt mapping system. It's a great place to get you started.
Title: Re: Oak Creek and William O Douglas Wilderness
Post by: MADMAX on January 19, 2016, 03:44:30 PM: Quote from: Naches Sportsman on January 14, 2016, 07:42:47 PM
Quote from: huntingdog16 on January 14, 2016, 07:20:57 PM
I bought the Washington Gazateer but note sure how accurate it is

I'd recommend stopping at the ranger station in Naches on a weekday and buying a forest service map and the yakima county sherriffs recreation map.

:yeah: